Benny and Pat’s Excellent Adventure.

Southeast of Indianapolis is Wanamaker.It’s a community,founded in 1836, that has the charm and appeal of a small town. That is where we decided to have our Grand Adventure. First stop was Wanamaker Guns. It’s a small shop in a mini strip mall. They have a great inventory of old guns. Black powder long guns, old Springfield rifles and hand guns;and a plethora of military related models. They also have a nice supply of accessories. As a matter of fact I got a sweet deal on an Uncle Mikes holster; 6 bucks less than current list price. The reason we stopped there first was that it was on the way to Xtraordinary Pizza. The first thing I noticed about the place was the tableau right next door. It was a little wooden shack covered with old metal signs complete with a gas pump and an old tow truck. It even had its own intersection, with street signs and a Dog ‘N’ Suds drive in sign. My pictures of the little scene don’t even come close to doing it justice. Inside it looked the way a small town Pizza shop should look. Tables and chairs and signs celebrating the local High School,no fancy or fictitious ambiance,just utilitarian function. You ordered at a counter,open to the kitchen,sat down and the cook ( one of the owners ) brought it to you when ready. The pie you get is what you would expect from such a no frill joint. A big tasty no nonsense proletarian pie loaded with toppings. We ordered a 10 inch sausage and mushroom,and the amount of each was almost embarrassing. The crust was thin and crispy, but not brittle. It had a texture more reminiscent of a thin shortbread. Crisp to the tooth,yet sturdy enough to handle the load. It is definitely a pie I would like again. Our 10 inch gave us 8 big slices,so big we couldn’t eat it all. And how much was it? You ask. About 15 bucks,with 2 sodas. After lunch we headed down the street to Brewskies,for ,well some brews. Again the feeling of small town friendly. It may sound trite, but we felt right at home as soon as we walked in. A lot of the reason for that was everyone in the joint ,help included, was closer to our age than most places in the city. AND, for 4 draft beers ( one Killian and three Silver Bullets ) the bill was $9. I can’t remember the last time I ran into so many truly nice people; people who didn’t owe me money. So a tip of the proverbial hat to Wanamaker Indiana. We’ll be back.

2 responses

I grew up just east of Wanamaker on the outskirts of Acton; in fact my first job was at Wheatley’s Market (back when it was a market). Very cool blog installment! (And thanks again for your Carne Asada comments.)

Why thank you. Acton;now that is a name I haven’t heard in a while. Pat and I plan on going back. Wanamaker is a food rich environment. We want to try the fish fry at Wheatley’s when they open again. Thanks for stopping by.